Pambiche Cocina and Repostería Cubana

Pambiche Cocina and Repostería Cubana, or simply Pambiche, is a Cuban restaurant located in northeast Portland, Oregon.

Not to be confused with Pambiche.

Pambiche Cocina and Repostería Cubana
Mural depicting Cuban culture on the restaurant's exterior in 2015
Location in Portland, Oregon
Restaurant information
Food type	Cuban
Street address	2811 Northeast Glisan St.
City	Portland
County	Multnomah
State	Oregon
Postal/ZIP Code	97232
Country	United States
Coordinates	45.52663°N 122.63698°W / 45.52663; -122.63698

Description

Building

Pambiche is housed in "a funky turn of the century Victorian building",[1] located at 2811 Northeast Glisan Street in Portland's Kerns neighborhood.[2]

Restaurant

The restaurant is owned by chef and musician John Maribona, a first-generation Cuban American, and serves traditional Cuban cuisine using recipes from Maribona's family.[3][4] It features outside seating and offers happy hour during select hours.[5] The menu includes empanadas, pork roast, prawns, tostones, and several vegetarian options. Select plates include roasted corn and chicken, smoked ham in béchamel sauce, a Cuban creole fish sandwich with red snapper, and Valencia saffron rice and chicken.[6] Its brunch menu includes plates with beans, eggs, rice and a choice of protein.[5]

History

Pambiche installed ornate bicycle racks with a "decidedly Caribbean feel" in 2011.[7] In 2015, Maribona expressed approval of President Barack Obama's announcement to normalize relations with Cuba after more than fifty years. He shared his hope that Pambiche would be able to have Cuban-made products such as chocolate.[3]

Reception

The restaurant's dinner menu, 2017

Pambiche has received a generally positive reception. It was awarded "Chef's Choice" for the best Latin American restaurant by The Portland Mercury and named "Restaurant of the Year" by Willamette Week.[1] The Portland Mercury also said Pambiche was "good, fun, and justifiably popular" and recommended the desserts.[6] Lonely Planet described the restaurant as "Portland's best Cuban food, with a trendy and riotously colorful atmosphere", while The New York Times noted, "Locals know that you can drive by Pambiche any night of the week and find it packed".[1][8] Thrillist included it in their list of "The 12 Best Portland Brunch Spots... Without Lines" in 2014.[5] Travel Portland called Pambiche "can't-miss Cuban cuisine" that emphasizes healthy, natural foods and "feels like it's straight out of grandma's kitchen".[4]

References

1. Kerr, Michael. "Modestly Priced Restaurants in Portland, Oregon". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
2. "Pambiche". Zagat. Archived from the original on October 21, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
3. Woodard, Chris. "Portland's Pambiche hails US-Cuba announcement: President Obama announced US to normalize relations with Cuba". KOIN. Archived from the original on February 21, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
4. "Pambiche". Travel Portland. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
5. Tyson, Drew (October 1, 2014). "The 12 Best Portland Brunch Spots... Without Lines". Thrillist. Archived from the original on March 6, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
6. "Pambiche". The Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
7. Rose, Joseph (March 8, 2011). "Pambiche's cool bike corrals, Blumenauer's commute video, Zoobomber hangout closes: Tuesday bike roundup". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
8. "Pambiche". Lonely Planet. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.

External links

• Pambiche full menu, The Portland Mercury
• Portland's Pambiche hails US-Cuba announcement on YouTube